Hunting or viewing blinds are typically used by a hunter or animal watcher to conceal or camouflage the hunter's or animal watcher's position and/or scent when hunting for or viewing animals. A blind may increase the hunter's or animal watcher's success of avoiding detection by the animals allowing the animal to be shot by the hunter or the animal to be viewed by the watcher. Conventional blinds, however, are typically placed on a ground surface in a forest or field, and they are not easily portable, deployable and retractable when the use of the blind is complete.
The user of the blind typically places their equipment on the ground surface in the compartment formed by the blind, but conventional blinds have obstructions that can reduce the space available for a user to move within the hunting blind and to be further protected from the elements such as wind, rain, snow and the like. Further, conventional hunting blinds are configured to rest on a flat surface at a location of use and are not easily adapted to the variations in the terrain. The conventional blinds are not typically capable of being assembled on a hillside or uneven surface.
There remains a need in the art for a hunting or animal watching blind that is easily transported to a location of desired use. A further need exists for a blind that is easily assembled and disassembled and packed up in the field. A further need exists for a blind assembly that can be positioned on a hillside or uneven surface. A further need exists for a blind assembly that can be positioned off the ground surface in a swampy or damp area. A further need exists for a blind that provides protection of the user and the user's equipment from the environmental elements and to keep the user's equipment, food, sleeping equipment, clothing and the like from becoming moist.
It is desired that any field pack with an integrated blind system also include a hood assembly for covering the top of any compartment formed by the blind. Additionally, because the user's comfort in a potentially harsh environment is tantamount, such a field pack with an integrated blind system should also include a seat for use by the user. Additionally, it is desired that the field pack should include a vest system for holding the user's items that the user intends to use once the blind is deployed for use. Furthermore, a long-felt desire is providing a field pack with detachable features allowing such a featured item to be used separate from the field pack and to allow camouflaged features to be replaced by blinds, hoods, vests and/or seats that have a camouflage color or design that is more appropriate for the environment of use and the different or various seasons. The field pack and blind of the invention is configured to address these as well as other long-felt needs for such field packs and blinds.